CTO’s Perspective on HTMX vs React – Will HTMX Replace React?

It is always an interesting situation in the developer’s community, whenever there is a newer or less popular technology that suddenly starts gaining traction and is compared against one of the league players of that field.??

For today’s instance, the challenger is HTMX whereas the legend that has been holding most of the frontend market worldwide is no other than React. As the CTO of Aglowid IT Solutions, a leading ReactJS development company, we have been using React for many of our client’s projects, and the results have been beyond promising. While we have dabbled with HTMX internally, we are still to find the reassurance to use it for commercial projects.??

Hence, I decided to take things up myself, and actually figure out answers to questions like –??

• HTMX vs React – Which is better??
• Will HTMX Replace React??
• Is HTMX a direct competitor to React??
• Can HTMX and React be used together???
• What are the differences between HTMX and React??

Today, the mainly focus will be on understanding HTMX and React, and exploring their differences to find out when to use which of the two for your project. Let’s get started –??

What is HTMX???

As per their official documentation, HTMX is a dependency-free, browser-oriented JavaScript library. It is a light-weight, JavaScript library that allows users to access modern browser features directly with HTML without having to depend on JavaScript. The purpose behind HTMX is to keep things as simple as possible. It provides direct access to AJAX, WebSocket, Server Sent Events & CSS Transitions directly through HTML.??

HTMX Approach?

HTMX focuses on taking an enhancement approach, decorating and optimizing the limitations of standard HTML with additional behaviours and attributes. Since it minimizes the dependency of JavaScript, it helps establish a seamless interaction between client-side and server-side aspects of your project.??

Key Features of HTMX?

Here are the key features of HTMX that define how it functions and approaches development –??

1. Declarative Attributes?

HTMX uses HTML attributes to define the desired behaviour. This makes it easier to integrate into existing projects without the need for a separate JavaScript framework.?

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1. AJAX Without JavaScript Overhead?

HTMX can help achieve AJAX-like functionality with minimum dependency on JavaScript code. This makes it a better choice for projects that prioritize simplicity.??

1. Ease of Server-Side Rendering??

HTMX works seamlessly with server-side rendering framework which seamlessly blends client-side interactivity with all the functions and benefits of server-side rendering.??

What is React??

As per their official documentation, React is one of the leading libraries for web and native user interfaces, based on one of the most popular frontend programming languages – JavaScript. It follows a component-based architecture and is most popularly used for developing SPA (Single Page Applications) and managing complex UIs and application state.??

React Approach??

React is a comprehensive UI library that focuses on a component-based architecture. It utilizes Virtual DOM for efficiently updating and rendering component based on any changes made to the application state.??

Key Features of React?

Here are the key components and features that define and structure React, making it an ideal choice for your projects –??

• Component-Based Architecture?

React encourages developers to break down the giant monolithic user interface to manageable modular components. This makes the codebase more reusable and easier to maintain.??

• Virtual DOM?

React uses a virtual instance of the DOM for optimizing its updates and reducing the need for direct manipulation of the actual DOM.??

• React State Management?

React is primarily known for its efficient state management capabilities that ensure seamless synchronization between the app’s user interface an app data.?

?HTMX vs React - Differences Comparison??

HTMX vs React – Architecture?

HTMX prioritizes simplicity and ease of use by keeping minimal JavaScript involvement. This makes it an ideal choice for projects that are lightweight and HTML-centric. In contrast, React follows component-based architecture which can be difficult to master but enables creation of complex UIs with heavier reliance on JavaScript.?

HTMX vs React – Learning Curve?

HTMX emphasizes on simplicity, hence its learning curve is comparatively lower too. The idea behind HTMX is to provide a simple alternative as a React replacement for projects that don’t need the complex features. React on the other hand is mainly focused on enterprise solutions and hence has a moderate to high learning curve.?

HTMX vs React - Bundle Size?

HTMX is known for its lightweight footprint which contributes to faster page load speeds. With minimal JS overhead, HTMX becomes ideal for basic projects that want to optimize bundle size as much as possible. React with its extensive ecosystem and feature-rich nature is naturally going to have a larger bundle size. With the right React performance optimization tools and bundle size optimization techniques, it can still be made to work efficiently with optimized bundle sizes.?

HTMX vs React – Performance?

HTMX peaks in performance where simplicity, agility and interactivity are essential. React on the other hand is more useful and performance oriented for large apps that would bring additional features, complexities, JavaScript dependency and other such factors that affect performance. However, with React’s Virtual DOM and other optimization techniques, users can have enterprise grade applications functioning smoothly and efficiently. It depends on the client and their decision to trade-off simplicity for performance (HTMX over React) or performance for simplicity (React over HTMX).??

HTMX vs React – State Management?

HTMX simplifies state management with its core philosophy of reducing complexities. Any project that requires complex state handling will have to leverage React’s state management system that is carved to perfection with React state and props.?

HTMX vs React - Integration with SSR?

HTMX was created with the purpose of optimizing projects that work with server-side frameworks. React, however, also supports server-side rendering which ensures faster initial page load speeds and improved SEO.??

How to decide between HTMX and React for your Project??

Choosing between HTMX and React for your project will involve considering several factors to ensure that the selected technology aligns with your project goals, requirements and development philosophy. Here are the factors you should compare HTMX and React on to decide which is the best for your project –?

• Project Requirements?

React excels in crafting intricate UIs and SPAs, leveraging a robust, component-based architecture.??

HTMX is tailored for enhancing server-side HTML and hence offers a lightweight and incremental adoption approach over a complete overhaul.?

• Development Speed and Learning Curve?

Despite React’s steep learning curve compared to HTMX, its efficiency in enterprise grade development justifies the effort to master its component-based architecture.??

HTMX, is designed for simplicity and hence has a lower learning curve, however, it is limited in its scope for the same reason as well.?

• Integration with Existing Technologies?

One of the most prominent reasons React has maintained its relevance and popularity in today’s market is due to its flexibility in allowing seamless integrations with various tools, frameworks and different tech stacks.??

HTMX focuses on providing the same seamless experience with server-side rendering that enhances the client-side interactivity.?

• Ecosystem and Community Support?

React has a vast ecosystem of professional suit of tools and services, which ensures a rich pool of resources. It also hosts a rich community of active developers, companies and other important stakeholders that ensures continuous community support.??

HTMX as a technology is relatively new, and even if it grows over the years, it may take many years to match the breadth of React’s community and plugin supports, especially for custom requirements for any project.?

1. Long-Term Sustainability?

I always look at any new fad or rising technology before adopting it for our client’s projects. As a client you don’t have the mental, financial and timely bandwidth to deal with a framework with dubious sustainability standards.??

React has stood the proof of time and continues to be a relevant and apt choice for frontend requirements, whereas HTMX is still to secure or justify itself as a preferred or considerable choice for long-term projects that need continuous monitoring and updating.??

Final Words?

As a CTO, I have to admit the fresh perspective of HTMX is quite refreshing and inspiring. It might be a step in the right direction, as they have identified a niche market where simple applications don’t have a lightweight library that comes without the decorators and extensive ecosystems which can overcomplicate the process.? However, it is still at its nascent stage and the future of HTMX would greatly depend on how the community drives forward.??